佛祖統紀 46
English (machine translation) 46
- Language
- English
46.1
Composed by Śramaṇa Zhipan of Donghu in Siming under the Song dynasty in Xianchun [era].
46.2
Treatise on the Prosperity and Decline of the Dharma, No. 17, Part 13.
46.3
Emperor Zhezong (the sixth son of Shenzong. His mother was Empress Dowager Qincheng, née Zhu. The seventh day of the twelfth month was designated the Longxing Festival.) (Mausoleum named Yongtai.)
46.4
First year of Yuanyou [1086 CE]. The Korean prince and Supreme Clerical Director Who Aids the World, Uicheon (Yitian), came to court. Su Shi of the Ministry of Rites was imperial ordered to be his host. The relevant officials prepared the welcoming provisions with great lavishness. (Gongzhang [共張] is read as gongzhang [供帳, tents and provisions], as seen in the Biography of Shu Guang in the Book of Han.) Uicheon four times submitted memorials requesting the transmission of the Huayan teaching. Thereupon [the Emperor] ordered Yang Jie of the Bureau of Receptions to escort him to Qiantang, where he received the Dharma from Dharma Master Jingyuan of Huiyin [Monastery]. He then proceeded to Tianzhu [Monastery] to pay respects to Dharma Master Ciban Jian and receive the Tiantai teaching. He met Vinaya Master Zhao of Lingzhi to request the precepts and the Zichi ji. Arriving at Jinshan, he called upon Chan Master Foyin Yuan, who received his obeisance while remaining seated. Yang Jie asked in astonishment about the reason for this. Master Yuan said, "Uicheon is merely a monk from a foreign realm. If I bend the Dharma to cater to secular conventions, how could we demonstrate the standard of Chinese teachers?" When the court heard of this, they regarded the master as one who understood the greater principle. After Uicheon returned to his country, he founded monasteries to transmit the teaching, honoring Ciban as the first patriarch. He also sent back gold-script versions of the Huayan-sūtra in three translations, old and new, to Huiyin, and built a pavilion to store them (nowadays commonly called Gaoli Temple).
46.5
Second year [1087 CE], seventh month. Zhang Shangying traveled to Mount Wutai. At midnight at Bimo Cliff, he saw the Great Being Mañjuśrī in a body of golden light. In the ninth month, setting out from Taiyuan to inspect Shouyang, he arrived at Zhaohua Cloister on Mount Fang, the very place where Elder Li [Tongxuan] had composed his treatise. Beneath a ruined house, he obtained the Huayan jueyi lun (Treatise on Resolving Doubts Concerning the Avataṃsaka). As he read it quickly, his doubts were instantly resolved. He at once ordered the county to erect a statue of the Elder, and a round white halo appeared to the south of the mountain. Thereupon the village elders jointly requested to renovate the cloister, and Shangying composed a record for it.
46.6
Third year [1088 CE]. An imperial eunuch was ordered to carry gold to Donglin [Monastery] to adorn the Buddha statues of the Five Divinely Moved Halls. The Director of Receptions Yang Jie went to Shuanglin [Monastery] to pay homage to the Great Being's revolving repository. While he was gazing in reverent admiration, the wheel suddenly turned on its own. The great assembly marvelled at it. Jie composed a eulogy to record the event. Jie had always possessed deep personal faith in the Pure Land path; he kept with him a sixteen-foot image of Amitābha Buddha for visual contemplation. When his life ended, he had the vision of the Buddha coming to welcome him, and passed away seated upright.
46.7
Fourth year [1089 CE]. Academician of the Hanlin Academy Su Shi governed Hangzhou. Passing through Jinshan, he visited Chan Master Foyin. It happened that the master had gathered the assembly to enter the room; Shi went straight in. The master said, "There is no seat here; why has the academician come?" Shi said, "I temporarily borrow the Venerable's four great elements as a meditation couch." The master said, "I have a turning phrase. If you can answer it, it will be as you request; if you hesitate, you must leave behind the jade belt you wear." Shi agreed and placed the jade belt on the table. The master said, "This mountain monk's four great elements are fundamentally empty, and the five aggregates do not exist. Where does the academician wish to sit?" Shi indeed hesitated. The master urgently called his attendant, saying, "Take the jade belt to guard the mountain gate forever!" He then presented a patched monastic robe in return. (The master wrote a gāthā, and the duke matched the rhymes: "These diseased bones are indeed fit to be encircled by a jade belt; / Dull capacities nevertheless fall into the trap of the arrow's point. / Wishing to send me begging for food in the quarters of singing girls, / You intentionally bestowed this old patched robe of clouds and mountains.") [Su's] son Dai was four years old and unable to walk; upon arriving in Hangzhou, he requested Dharma Master Biancai to shave his head and rub his crown. Within a few days, he walked well. Shi wrote a poem to thank him, which contained the line: "The master came to rub his crown, and he arose walking fast enough to chase a running deer."
46.8
Fifth year [1090 CE]. Dharma Master Shenzhi Sheng (of the lineage of Ciyun) came to reside at Xingfu in Yue. At that time, Duke Zhao Bian, the Qingxian, served as military commissioner. A severe drought and great epidemic occurred, and prolonged prayers went unanswered. He then asked the master to welcome the Great Being [Guanyin] into the prefectural seat. After one night of earnest prayers, rain poured like a deluge and the epidemic ceased. Bian reported this to the court, which bestowed on his residence the name Yuantong and granted the master the title Shenzhi (Divine Wisdom). Earlier, King Qian Liu of Wuyue was governing Yue when he suffered an eye ailment. He dreamt of an immortal in white clothes saying, "I come from Yongjia." The next morning, a monk from Yongjia submitted a petition presenting an image of the Great Being, saying that he had retrieved it from the ocean tide and was shown in a dream that it wished to return to the city of Yue. King Wusu immediately prepared full regalia to welcome it. As soon as he saw the image, his sight cleared. Thereupon he founded a hermitage named Xingfu to enshrine it.
46.9
Seventh year [1092 CE]. Su Shi, governor of Yingchuan, reported that prayers at the pagoda cloister of Buddhapālita had repeatedly proven efficacious, and requested an imperial plaque. An edict granted it the name Guangfan Cloister. In the early Yifeng era of the Tang, Buddhapālita had returned to Western India to retrieve the Uṣṇīṣa Vijaya Dhāraṇī Sūtra and came again to translate and circulate it. Later he arrived at Ying and died there. The locals lacquered his body and built a pagoda to revere it. (The earlier record stated that Buddhapālita carried the Sanskrit text into Mount Wutai and never emerged again.) Shi's younger brother Zhe was exiled to Gao'an (Ruizhou). At that time, Yunan of Dongshan and Chan Master Cong had the same dream one night: that they went outside the city with Ziyou to welcome Chan Master Wuzu Jie. Soon afterward, Zizhan arrived. The three went outside the city to wait for him and told him of their dream. Shi said, "When I was eight or nine years old, I constantly dreamed that I was a monk traveling back and forth in Shanyou. Furthermore, when my late mother was pregnant, she dreamed of a one-eyed monk asking for lodging." Yunan said in astonishment, "Master Jie was a native of Shanyou, and was blind in one eye. Calculating back to his death, it has been precisely fifty years!" Zizhan was at that time forty-nine years old. From then on, he was often called Venerable Jie. In Siming, Dharma Master Zhongli of Yanqing instructed his disciple Jieran (who received ordination at Fanquan Yanshou in Yin) to found the Hall of the Sixteen Contemplations to accommodate scholars exclusively cultivating pure karma. Chen Guan of Yanping composed a record for it. (Guan's style name was Yingzhong; he and Chao Shuozhi together received instruction from Dharma Master Li).
46.10
Eighth year [1093 CE]. While governing Dingzhou, Su Shi painted images for the Water-and-Land ritual and composed sixteen eulogies. Contemporaries praised both the literary style and the doctrinal principles as wonderful. (The fact that people today often refer to the Meishan Water-and-Land ritual is due to this).
46.11
Second year of Shaosheng [1095 CE]. Su Shi was exiled to Huizhou. Chongbian of Nanhua Temple in Shaoyang requested Shi to transcribe Liu Zongyuan's stele for the Sixth Patriarch, and [Su] inscribed on the back: "Śākya established his teaching through literature. When translated into China, it necessarily relied on capable scholars of the literati before it could spread far. Therefore, among the Mahāyāna sūtras, when it comes to the Śūraṅgama-sūtra, its style is intricate, exhaustive, and peerlessly marvelous, because it was penned by Fang Rong. When Liu Zihou was banished south, he first probed Buddhist doctrine and composed steles for Caoxi and Nanyue, which are marvelous beyond past and present. Yet Nanhua now has no stone inscription. Master Chongbian said that since the Tang, there have been many who praised the Patriarchs, but none as thorough and luminous as Zihou, for when traced back, his words harmonize with Mencius. How could students not be made to see it daily and recite it constantly?" When Zizhan was in Huizhou, he was ordered to be banished to Dan'er (Danzhou across the sea). The prefect of Hui, Fang Zirong, came to console him, saying, "My wife, née Shen, served Sangha with great devotion. One night she dreamed that he came to bid farewell. When asked where he was going, he replied, 'I shall accompany Su Zizhan.' Seventy-two days later came the imperial order, which falls precisely on this day. Is this not predetermined?" On the day he traveled south, he carried a scroll of Amitābha Buddha. When people asked the reason, he answered, "This is Shi's official voucher for rebirth in the Western Direction." While in Dan, he obtained paintings of the Eighteen Arhats by the Zhang family of Shu, and thereupon composed eulogies for them, adding an inscription on the back: "After the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, sentient beings of Jambudvīpa are stubborn, self-willed, and unwilling to believe and enter. Thus all the sages and worthies concealed themselves and did not appear, relying solely on established images and bequeathed teachings to guide the unawakened. Yet Mount Emei, Wutai, Lushan, and Tiantai still display radiant visions and unusual transformations to make people clearly see. My family preserved images of the Eighteen Arhats; whenever we made tea offerings, they transformed into white milk, or congealed into peach blossoms, plums, and peonies that could barely be identified. Some say that because the Arhats' compassion is profound and they are anxious to receive beings, they frequently display supernatural transformations. Could it indeed be so? Now I bestow them upon Ziyou, so that he may cultivate reverence at the proper times."
46.12
Third year [1096 CE]. At Mount Yang in Yuanzhou, a stone relic stupa appeared spontaneously, twenty zhang in height. Huang Tingjian was exiled to Qiannan, where he abstained from alcohol and severed desires, reading the Tripiṭaka for three full years. He often said: "Gain and loss, defame and praise, eulogy and ridicule, sorrow and joy—these eight winds are never separated from the four postures. Even the primal sages and great wits of antiquity, did any stand outside these eight winds? Without studying the Way, one cannot know this." (The Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra says: "The bodhisattva's practice toward gain and loss, defame and praise, eulogy and ridicule, sorrow and joy, remains equal and unchanging.") Chan Master Fayun Xiu said to Luzhi: "You write alluring songs to agitate people's lustful minds and cause them to transgress propriety and violate prohibitions. Your guilt will not merely be falling into evil destinies." Luzhi never composed them again. Li Boshi was skilled at painting horses; the master admonished him, saying: "For a scholar-official to make a reputation by painting is already shameful, how much more so painting horses!" Boshi said: "Would that not cause me to fall into evil destinies?" The master said: "You contemplate their divine swiftness and keep it in mind without forgetting; in days to come you will certainly enter the belly of a horse." Boshi was shocked and terrified, and thereupon mostly painted Guanyin to wash away his fault.
46.13
Fourth year [1097 CE]. Eighteen people, including Chan Master Faying of Mount Damei in Siming, submitted a formal petition to the prefecture stating: "The Hangzhou monk Yuanzhao arrived in the prefecture distributing a Pure Land collection, claiming it was composed by Tripiṭaka Master Cimin of the Tang. Although titled as an encouragement to cultivate pure karma, its real intention is to slander the Chan school, branding them as people with deviant views who cling to emptiness. We have now searched the Tripiṭaka, and this text does not exist. We therefore composed an 'Explanation Slander' to interrogate him, begging that Yuanzhao be summoned and questioned to thoroughly verify its authenticity." Zhao had no way to answer, and only claimed that there was a copy in an old canon. The prefectural authorities recognized that his reasoning was exhausted, yet respecting his observance of the Vinaya, merely ordered the original copy to be confiscated and destroyed to resolve the dispute. (The printing blocks of the Jiebang shu are kept at Mount Meishan; its presentation of principles and doctrinal reasoning is most elegant and upright).
46.14
The author remarks: Dazhi [Yuanzhao], with his outstanding talent and grand capacity, took upon himself the duty of propagating the Vinaya. His *Zichi ji* ran parallel with the *Huizheng*, yet it alone flourishes in our present age; as one whose fame spans generations, he is well worthy of respect. However, when one observes his one-sided praise of the Pure Land, his writing of a new commentary to oppose Master Zhiyi, and his borrowing of Cimin's collection to turn his back on the Sixth Patriarch—why did he act like this? In general, this master had more than enough learning in self-restraint, but in the path of illuminating the mind he was not fully consummate. The *Cimin ji* has already been destroyed, yet the Vinaya masters still preserve his new commentary. Those with discerning insight will surely be able to distinguish it.
46.15
In the fifth year, in the second month, the Vinaya Master Yuanzhao of Qiantang established an ordination platform at Kaiyuan Monastery in Siming. Conforming to the Vinaya in accordance with the Dharma, it was the preeminent ordination site in the Southeast.
46.16
In the first year of Yuanfu, a stone relic stupa appeared spontaneously on Mount Muping in Yuanzhou. At night, it emitted rainbow light of five colors, and a sixteen-foot Buddha appeared in the lunar disc, with Avalokiteśvara and arhats standing in attendance to the left and right.
46.17
In the second year, an image of an arhat appeared on a stone cliff at East Mountain in Yuanzhou. ○ In the fourth month of summer, it did not rain. The prefect of Yuanzhou, Wang Gu, went to pray at the sacred stupa on Mount Muping. A light shone from within the crags, and the Mahāsattva in White Robes appeared with golden necklaces; relics were obtained, five-colored and as large as dates, within which were appearances of terraces and pavilions. He went again to the stupa site at Mount Yang, where he saw the Mahāsattva of Sizhou, Vimalakīrti, and arhats ranged on either side. Soon after, a heavy downpour soaked the earth. The commandery reported this to the court, and an imperial decree bestowed on the Muping stupa the name Huiqing ('Concurring Celebrations') and on the Yangshan stupa the name Ruiqing ('Auspicious Celebrations').
46.18
In the third year, an imperial decree ordered the construction of Tailin (the Longevity Mausoleum of Emperor Zhezong). Lou Yi, the magistrate of Dengfeng (the Western Capital, Luoyang; grandfather of Lou Gongkui of Siming, who reached the rank of minister), requested to use surplus labor to renovate the Shaolin bodhimaṇḍa on Mount Songgao. Officials and commoners worked together, and it was completed in a single morning; it was named Facing-the-Wall Āraṇya. Soon after, twelve stems of reishi mushrooms grew in the forest, sweet dew fell upon the pond, and at night a light connected to the sky. Chen Wuji of Houshan wrote a record of it.
46.19
Emperor Huizong (the tenth son of Shenzong; younger half-brother of Zhezong; mother was Empress Dowager Qinci of the Chen clan; buried in the Yongyou Mausoleum).
46.20
In the first year of Jianzhong Jingguo, Chan Master Foguo Weibai of Fayun Monastery compiled the *Continued Lamp Record* in thirty rolls and presented it to the throne; an imperial preface was granted. ○ In the seventh month, Su Shi (Dongpo) passed away in Piling. At that time, Qian Jiming, standing in attendance beside him, said, 'All your life you studied Buddhism; how is it on this day?' Su Shi said, 'Even such words are not to be entertained.' He then passed away.
46.21
In the first year of Chongning, a passage from an imperial pardon stated: 'All monks and Daoists of renowned virtue in the realm who have served as models for the multitude and have not yet received posthumous titles are to be investigated and reported to the court by their respective offices.'
46.22
In the second year, the Tang Vinaya Master Daoxuan (Chengzhao) of Mount Zhongnan was posthumously titled Great Master Fahui; Great Master Ciyun Zunshi of Mount Tianzhu was posthumously titled Great Master Fabao; Fanzhen of Nanping was posthumously titled Great Master Shixiang; and Zhiyuan of Gushan was posthumously titled Great Master Fahai.
46.23
In the third year, an imperial order welcomed the Śākyamuni Buddha's tooth relic—which had received imperial panegyrics from three reigns—from Xiangguo Monastery into the palace for offerings. Through the crystal reliquary, relics issued forth like raindrops. Thereupon, the emperor composed a panegyric: / 'Great Sage, Śākyamuni, / Equal to space, yet a single particle of dust. / Whatever is sought, he answers with response; / In no realm does he not divide his body. / The brilliance of jade, the thousand spokes remain; / The diamond vajra, refined a hundred times, is ever new. / Now I pay reverent homage, / Universally wishing to save the multitude of beings.' / ○ An imperial decree conferred posthumous titles: on Tripiṭaka Master Mātanga of Baima Monastery, the title Dharma Master of Opening the Way and Perfect Penetration; on Dharmaratna, the title Dharma Master of Initiating the Teaching and All-Holding; on Mahāsattva Fu of Shuanglin, the title Mahāsattva Equal to Space and Continuing Awakening; and on Elder Li of Mount Fang, the title Elder Manifesting the Teaching and Wondrous Adornment. ○ Yangzhou submitted a memorial stating that the Great Sage of Sizhou had repeatedly appeared at the Puhui Stupa.
46.24
In the fourth year, Jinzhou submitted a memorial: at Qingxiang, an auspicious light appeared, and a stone arhat was obtained; it was granted the name Ganying ('Resonant Response'). The auspicious image was welcomed into the monastery and radiated great light. ○ Minister Wang Gu, having read through the Tripiṭaka, compiled the *Table of Contents for the Dharma Treasure* in eight rolls. His method was to record, beneath each sūtra, the conditions, events, and Dharma doors expounded, so that upon viewing the title one could immediately know the purport. The śramaṇa Fanzhen proofread it, and its printing blocks were carved in Yongjia.
46.25
In the fifth year, in the tenth month, an imperial edict stated: 'Those who rule the realm revere and serve Shangdi; how dare they be lacking in piety? Yet the Buddhist teachings place the Celestial Emperor among the ranks of ghosts and spirits. In profaning the spirits and exceeding bounds, nothing is worse than this. Let the authorities eradicate this. Furthermore, in the Water and Land bodhimaṇḍas, the installation of seats for the Three Purities and others was prohibited by an edict issued in the Yuanfeng era; it must be investigated and enforced. From of old, monks' residences have often installed images of the Three Teachings, which then became the tablets of cloisters and names of halls, with Śākyamuni in the center, Laozi on the left, and Sage Confucius on the right. This is not the way to honor the Heavenly Realized Ones and the intent of Confucianism. These images may be welcomed back to Daoist abbeys and Confucian academies to rectify their names.' The śramaṇa Yongdao of the capital Luoyang read the edict and wept, saying, 'Within our realm, Confucius and Laozi took Heaven as their model and established their teachings, hence they did not oppose Heaven. The Buddha's supramundane Dharma is that by which gods and humans are guided, hence it does not oppose the Buddha. Since ancient times, enlightened monarchs who honored the Buddha to serve Shangdi did so because they understood this principle. The Buddha Dharma is impartial; therefore, though its teachings gather together both sages and ordinary beings, the distinctions between lord and minister, high and low, are nonetheless distinct. Ever since the ancestral monarchs, the veneration of the Dharma has been settled. If it is abolished in a single day, I fear the calamity of the destruction of the Dharma will begin from this.' Those who heard him were saddened and unsettled.
46.26
In the first year of Daguan, an imperial decree sent Li Yu, Director of the Palace Buildings Directorate, to Qisheng Cloister to move the sandalwood image of Śākyamuni and place it in the Imperial Portrait Hall. The palanquin bearing the image arrived, but the crossbeam of the wing hall was too low to pass under. Just as the crowd was seized with fear, the image suddenly drew in its shoulders and bowed its head; the palanquin passed through without obstruction after all. High and low rejoiced. The emperor had previously heard that the Empress Dowager, when paying homage to the image, measured its foot with a cord; the next morning, the emperor visited the monastery to burn incense and ordered a young eunuch to hold a piece of paper to measure the image's foot. The crowd cried out in astonishment, 'It has grown!' The emperor praised and admired it all the more. ○ An imperial decree ordered that Daoist priests be ranked above Buddhist monks. ○ An imperial decree ordered Daokai of Jingyin Monastery on the Left Street to move to become abbot of Fayun, granting him the purple robe and the title Chan Master Dingzhao. Daokai submitted a memorial declining: 'Your poor monk took leave of his parents in youth and made a vow to them: "After leaving household life, I expect never to seek profit or fame. I shall concentrate single-mindedly on learning the Way to repay my parents' boundless kindness, liberate living beings, and requite the ruler's favor. If I ever betray this heart, I shall forever abandon my life." If I were now to assume favor and glory falsely, I would betray my parents' intentions above and violate my original vow below. I dare to decline.' The emperor sent Li Xiaoshou, the governor of Kaifeng, carrying the imperial edict to instruct him, but Daokai held firm and would not relent. The emperor in anger arrested him and handed him over to prison. The authorities asked, 'If the elder has an illness, the law dictates that he should be exempt from punishment.' Daokai said, 'All my life I have not spoken falsely; how could I dare claim illness to deceive my sovereign?' He thus accepted punishment, was dressed in scholar's robes, and was exiled to Zizhou. Clergy and laity throughout the capital wept tears.
46.27
In the second year, in the first month, the emperor received the Eight Treasures and granted a great amnesty to the empire. An imperial decree allowed Daokai of Zizhou to follow his own convenience. The master retreated into seclusion at a hermitage by Furong Lake, and students came in ever greater numbers. When the court heard of this, it bestowed the plaque Huayan. ○ The monk Kong Qingjue of Baoying Monastery in the Western Capital resided at the Baiyun Hermitage in Hangzhou. Imitating the Buddhist sūtras, he established the four fruits and ten stages, divided the Great and Lesser Vehicles, and composed several treatises, propagating them among the common people. Those who followed him called him the Upādhyāya of Baiyun, and his disciples were called 'Baiyun Vegetarians.' His teachings specifically attacked the Chan school. Chan Master Juehai Yu vigorously argued against their falsity, and for this he was exiled to Enzhou.
46.28
The appraisal states: The followers of Baiyun are almost indistinguishable from the White Lotus, differing only in that they do not take wives or children. People see that they chant morning and evening and plow the fields themselves to make a living, thinking they seem respectable. Yet if one examines their foolish and extravagant words, and how they falsely interfere with the correct path, then discerning people should despise them deeply and vigorously reject them.
46.29
In the third year, an imperial decree was issued: 'Regarding the merit-field grave monasteries of meritorious ministers and imperial relatives, where they build the buildings and purchase the land themselves, they shall only be granted a name plaque, be exempted from requisition labor and taxes, and be allowed to invite monks to serve as abbots according to the family's choice. They are not permitted to seize already-titled monasteries to serve as their grave-monastery merit fields. The Censorate and Palace Attendant Directorate are authorized to impeach and enforce this.'
46.30
In the first year of Zhihe, an imperial decree ordered that twenty-four halberds be used in the Temple of the Ancient Sage. Because the marquis titles bestowed upon Zeng Shen and others violated the taboo personal name of the Ancient Sage, greatly offending against the disciples' etiquette of revering their teacher, seven individuals were slated for alternative titles. (Zengzi was previously titled Baron of Xiaqiu; Sima Niu of Chuqiu; Zizhang of Wanqiu; Shichu of Yingqiu; Qinkai of Dunqiu; and Nangong Zirong of Gongqiu. The above six were among the seventy disciples. Zuo Qiuming was titled of Xiaqiu; Guliang Chi of Gongqiu; and Dai Sheng of Chuqiu. The above three were among the companion sacrifices.)
46.31
The author remarks: The Confucians of this world know to revere the Master as the Ancient Sage, yet do not know to avoid his taboo personal name. For instance, the poets of the Tang and Song were fond of making sport with the Ancient Sage's name; their ignorance of ritual was like this. Tuizhi's poem says, 'Boarding a raft to pursue the sage Qiu.' Ouyang's poem says, 'Benevolence and righteousness, Qiu and Ke'; and also, 'How dare one discuss poetry at the gate of Qiu?' These two Confucians rejected Buddhism and Daoism and revered Confucius and Mencius, always full of zeal, yet conversely they insulted the sage's personal name. If Han and Ouyang still did not know ritual, the rest are not worth rebuking. How great was Emperor Youling's understanding of revering the Ancient Sage! He deemed that the fief titles of Zengzi and others violated the taboo name and thus violated the disciples' ritual, and so drafted alternative titles for them. If future Confucians could extend this intent, convey it to the central court, and request that the rules of taboo avoidance be put into practice, would this not show that the Confucian school has models of conduct?
46.32
The śramaṇa Huihong (style name Juefan) of Yunzhou was exiled to Yazhou due to his associations with Prime Minister Zhang Shangying and Military Commissioner Guo Tianxin. Hearing of this, Chan Master Lingyuan Qing sighed and said, 'An orchid planted in the middle of the road can never maintain its green through the seasons; a cassia growing in a hidden ravine will always preserve its crimson year after year. The ancients said, "Those whose intelligence is deep and penetrating yet who draw near to death are those fond of criticizing others." This applies to Juefan.'
46.33
In the second year, Vice Minister Bian Zhibai traveled from the capital to Linchuan and fell ill from the heat. He suddenly dreamed of a heavenly being in white robes sprinkling water over him, cooling him from crown to heel; on waking, he was instantly refreshed. Thereupon he collected ancient and modern miraculous resonances and compiled the *Collection of Avalokiteśvara's Resonant Responses* in four rolls, circulating it in the world (the printing blocks were carved at Upper Tianzhu). ○ Jiazhou memorialized: wind and thunder snapped an ancient tree, within which was a monk in samādhi, his nails and hair covering his body. An imperial decree had him carried to the palace. The translation Tripiṭaka Master Jin Zongchi had a gold chiming bell struck to awaken him. When asked his name, he said, 'I am Huichi, the younger brother of Dharma Master Yuan. Because of wandering to Mount Emei, I arrived here.' Asked where he wished to return, he said, 'Inside the ancient tree of Chenliu.' An imperial decree sent him off with ritual. Thereupon a portrait was drawn and a panegyric composed: / 'An old awl for seven hundred years, / Who can fathom the tidings within his samādhi? / How can it compare to returning west with a single shoe? / Why bother using wood as bark in life and death?' / (There were three gāthās in all; one is recorded here, drawn from the *Universal Lamp*.)
46.34
The author remarks: Master Chi's original biography states that he passed away peacefully at Longyuan in Pi County and left deathbed instructions. Now it is said that he wandered to Mount Emei and reached this place. Presumably, the spiritual transformations of a holy master cannot be constrained by the traces of birth and death.
46.35
In the third year, the translation Tripiṭaka Master Jin Zongchi (Great Master Mingyin Miaoshan Puji), along with the interpreter Renyi and the scribe Zongzheng, traveled south through Jiangnan and Zhejiang to Chexi in Xiuzhou. The śramaṇa Chenggian of Miyin Monastery asked about gathering the three robes to the right and circumambulating to the left or right. Zongchi answered, 'The holy teachings only state that one covers the body with the robes, never that they are hung over the shoulders. In the Western Heavens, circumambulation goes from north to east.'
46.36
The author remarks: In ancient debates regarding circumambulation to the right (the character for *rao* [遶] means to encircle, whereas *rao* [繞] means to entangle and is incorrect), as in the formulations of [Fazhi of] Caoxi, there are two positions: circumambulation relative to the Buddha's right, and circumambulation relative to one's own right. That exhausts it. However, Caoxi mistakenly adhered to one's own right, claiming that baring the right shoulder (for convenience in manual work), lying on the right side (the auspicious posture; according to the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra*, the head faces north, feet south, facing west with the back to the east), turning to the right to express goodness (the commentary on the *Fahua wenju* states: 'Turning left is crooked and represents evil; turning right is upright and represents good. Turning left is like *kao* [考]; turning right is like *lao* [老]'), and the holy hair spiraling to the right (ordinary people's curls turn to the left, while only the Buddha's curls turn to the right)—that all of these signify one's own right. Consequently, concerning the right circumambulation of the golden coffin in the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra* from east to south, he claimed it was the translator's error, failing to realize that he himself was mistaken. For circumambulation relative to one's own right is for one's own utility, whereas circumambulation relative to the Buddha's right is for encircling the Buddha. The principle established here is encircling the Buddha out of adoration and longing; what does it have to do with one's personal convenience? When the Great Sūtra describes circumambulating Kuśi[nagara] to the right, it is precisely this meaning. Today, when people circumambulate to the right, most do so relative to the Buddha's right, and this matter is already settled; yet fearing that people might still be misled by Caoxi's words, I could not but clarify it. Tripiṭaka Master Jin Zongchi's path from north to east is precisely relative to the Buddha's right. As for Nanshan's turning east and pivoting north, that is of course the meaning for reciting the precepts and assembling the congregation, which is relative to one's own right. Do not be confused! In Yazhou, Huihong grasped the intention and conducted himself with ease.
46.37
In the fourth year, a fangshi said, 'The Buddha's finger-bone relic at Baguan Temple in Chenliu is merely a sea-dog's knuckle.' An edict was issued to test it. It was subjected to burning fire and iron hammers for over ten days, but its color did not change. By imperial decree, additional honors were conferred, and it was returned.
46.38
In the sixth year, on the first day of the ninth month, Vinaya Master Yuanzhao of Lingzhi in Hangzhou sat cross-legged and passed away. He was posthumously titled 'Great Wisdom' (Dazhi). The learning of the Vinaya was instituted by the Buddha himself; from Mañjuśrī down, none dared add a single word, just as in the secular realm rites, music, and punitive expeditions issue from the Son of Heaven. From the time the Great Dharma traveled east, the Vinaya was not fully illuminated. Not until Vinaya Master Nanshan of the Zhenguan era under the Tang did someone first compose the *Precept Commentary*, the *Karma Commentary*, and the *Manual of Monastic Practice* to propagate the *Dharmaguptaka-vinaya*. Over four hundred years of transmission, there were sixty commentators; only Master Yankan's *Huizheng ji* thoroughly penetrated the principles. When it came to Master Yuanzhao, he began to draw upon the revelatory teachings of the *Lotus Sūtra* and composed the *Zichi ji* to clarify the tenets of Nanshan. Thereupon, the *Huizheng* and *Zichi* diverged into two schools.
46.39
In the seventh year: earlier, the Daoist Lin Lingsu of Yongjia, who practiced sorcery, traveled the Huai and Si river regions, begging for food at Buddhist monasteries. In this year he arrived in Chuzhou, where he engaged in a dispute and exchange of blows with the monk Huishi. When the dispute was brought before the authorities, the vice-prefect Shi Zhong, pleased with Lin's eloquence, released him and brought him to the capital. He visited Grand Preceptor Cai Jing, who regarded him as an extraordinary person and granted him an audience with the Emperor. Lin immediately spoke boastfully, saying, 'Your Majesty is the Emperor of Long Life of the Heavens, dwelling in the Jade Clarity Palace of the Divine Firmament. Your younger brother is the Emperor of Azure Radiance; both are sons of the Jade Emperor. Cai Jing is the Immortal Elder and Left Chancellor of Jade Clarity, while I, Lingsu, am the Immortal Clerk Chu Hui, who was demoted for minor offenses.' The Emperor was greatly delighted and bestowed upon him the title 'Feathered Guest of the Golden Gate', building the Tongzhen Palace for him to reside in. The Emperor then took for himself the title 'Master of the Teaching and Daoist Sovereign Emperor', built the Baolu Palace, and installed statues of the two Emperors of Long Life and Azure Radiance. An edict ordered that Tianning Temples throughout the empire be converted into Jade Clarity Palaces of the Divine Firmament. Once Lin Lingsu gained favor, remembering the humiliation he suffered in Chuzhou, he made it his daily and nightly business to destroy Buddhism, bringing in the fangshi Liu Dong to assist him; the Emperor became increasingly convinced by his discourse (and so forth). Previously, the Emperor had dreamed that he answered a summons from the Emperor of Azure Radiance to tour the Palace of the Divine Firmament. Waking and finding it extraordinary, he ordered the Director of Daoist Affairs Xu Zhichang to investigate the Divine Firmament. Someone reported, 'Daoist Lin at the Daoist Hall of Taiyi Palace has repeatedly spoken of the Divine Firmament and once composed a poem inscribed on the wall.' Zhichang reported this, and Lin was summoned to an audience. The Emperor asked, 'Formerly I saw the Emperor of Eastern Radiance and heard words about eliminating the demons with shaved heads. What does this mean?' Lin Lingsu then spoke unrestrainedly: 'Buddhism has harmed the Dao for a long time. Although it cannot now be extinguished, it ought to be reformed: let Buddhist monasteries become Daoist temples and abbeys; let Śākyamuni become Heavenly Worthy; let bodhisattvas become Great Beings; let Buddhist monks become Men of Virtue, all keeping their hair, wearing caps on their heads, and holding court tablets.' The edict approved this. (According to the *Biography of Lin Lingsu* written by Geng Yanxi.)
46.40
The *Bintui lu* of Mr. Zhao states: When Su Dongpo was prefect of Yangzhou, he dreamed that he was walking among the mountains and a tiger came to bite him. A Daoist shouted at the tiger and drove it away. The next morning, a Daoist came to call on him, saying, 'When you went out last night, were you not frightened?' Dongpo rebuked him: 'You rascal, I have not yet caned your back! Did you think I was unaware of your midnight arts?' The Daoist was terrified and withdrew. Huizong's dream of the Divine Firmament was of this sort.
46.41
The author remarks: Emperor Xuanzong dreamed of the two characters 'Chu Jin' in the sky and accordingly inscribed the plaque for the Polyjeweled Stūpa; Emperor Suzong dreamed of a monk chanting the name of Prabhūtaratna Tathāgata; Emperor Daizong dreamed of touring a mountain temple; in our present dynasty, Emperor Renzong dreamed of a dragon coiled at the gate of Jingde Temple; Emperor Shenzong dreamed of a miraculous monk riding a horse across the sky. These were all brought about through the power of the Buddha, the power of the Dharma, and the natural transformative influence of the good roots of the masters' compassion. They cannot be compared with the midnight sorcery of the Divine Firmament! Fearing that foolish people might make wild citations to justify themselves, I could not but distinguish between them.
46.42
An imperial decree appointed Chan Master Fadeng to dwell at Xiangyang. The prefect of Lumen subtly urged the monks of various mountains to gather gold and silks to go to the capital to hold a vegetarian feast for a thousand Daoists. The master said, 'Since I was a child with milk teeth, I have served the Buddha and am not mad; how could I use the offerings of donors from the ten directions to travel a thousand miles to flatter Daoists?' Ashamed, the prefect ceased, and the monasteries praised his courage upon hearing of it. As for Master of Baofan Zhaofu of Western Shu, Luzhi praised him, saying, 'He is a general or chancellor in robes of dyed cloth, versed in both literary and martial arts.' His successor, Master Yuanming Minxing, was praised by Zizhan, who said, 'He has read both internal and external teachings, thoroughly comprehending their meaning, and through illusory samādhi is the foremost leader of the region.' Master Fadeng served Yuanming as a father and Baofan as a grandfather; he came from a noble lineage! (According to the *Shimen wenzi chan*.) In the seventh month of the first year of the Chonghe reign era, an edict ordered the construction of Mount Longevity and the Genyue Garden. At that time there was a great drought, and Lin Lingsu prayed for rain without success. Cai Jing then began to report his treachery and falsehoods, but the Emperor did not listen. A quiet chamber in the Tongzhen Palace was always kept locked; Jing sent someone to investigate secretly and found yellow silk curtains, red lacquered armchairs, and tables. Jing reported all this to the throne and accompanied the imperial carriage to inspect it, but they saw only whitewashed walls and bright windows. Jing was terrified and awaited punishment.
46.43
In the first month of the first year of the Xuanhe reign era, an edict stated: 'Since the beneficence of the former kings was exhausted, foreign teachings began to operate in the central states. Although their words differ, their ultimate destination is one with the Dao. While it cannot be abolished, it nevertheless harms the rites and righteousness of the central states, and therefore cannot but be reformed. Let the Buddha be designated the Golden Immortal of Great Enlightenment, wearing the robes of a Heavenly Worthy; let bodhisattvas be designated Great Beings; let monks be Men of Virtue, and nuns Women of Virtue, wearing scarves and caps and holding wooden tablets; let temples become Daoist palaces, and cloisters become Daoist abbeys; let abbots become Managers of Affairs for Palaces and Abbeys. It is prohibited to keep bronze cymbals, stūpas, or [Buddhist] statues.' At first, when the Buddhist teaching was suppressed, none in the outer court complied. Sheng Zhang, the Prefect of Kaifeng, was instigated by wicked men who used considerations of profit and harm, and he was the first to obey; he then transmitted the imperial decree to Cai Jing. Jing said, 'The state has enjoyed peace and security for a long time; heroes have nowhere to apply their talents and often hide among this group. If their dwellings are destroyed and their food and clothing taken from them in a single morning, where will they turn? They will surely harbor deep resentment, gather, and cause rebellion. On that day, whom among you will take the blame?' When the Emperor heard this, he was enraged and said, 'These fellows merely wish to intimidate me!' Jing's family advised him, saying, 'The Emperor is angry.' Jing replied, 'I will stake my life to repay the Buddha.' It happened that a group of monks was about to submit a petition to Jing to demand debate. Sheng Zhang learned of it and arrested their leaders, the eminent monks Rihua and Yanpeng, both Vinaya masters; a total of seven people were beaten to death with staves. Master of Precious Enlightenment Yongdao of the Left Precinct submitted a memorial saying, 'From ancient times, the Buddhist Dharma has always waxed and waned together with the fortunes of the state. Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei and Cui Hao destroyed the Buddhist Dharma, and before three or four years had passed, Hao's clan was completely exterminated, while Emperor Wencheng greatly revived it. Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou and Wei Yuansong destroyed the Buddhist Dharma, and before five or six years had passed, Yuansong died in disgrace and exile, while Emperor Wen of the Sui greatly revived it. Emperor Wuzong of the Tang, Zhao Guizhen, and Li Deyu destroyed the Buddhist Dharma, and before a year had passed, Guizhen was executed and Deyu died in exile, while Emperor Xuanzong greatly revived it. In our dynasty, Grand Ancestor and Grand Progenitor, followed by successive sage emperors, translated scriptures, examined monks, and greatly revived the Buddhist Dharma; the established institutions are fully preserved and can be maintained for ten thousand generations! How can Your Majesty bear to adopt the words of wicked men in a single day and commit an act that shocks the world? Does Your Majesty not think of Taiwu being murdered at the hands of a eunuch? Or of Emperor Wu of the Zhou becoming a prisoner in an iron prison? Or of Emperor Wuzong of the Tang suffering the retribution of shortened life and loss of his throne? These are all clear mirrors from the past. Why should Your Majesty step into the disaster of evil rulers and violate the laws of your ancestors?' When the memorial was submitted, the Emperor was furious and issued an edict exiling him to Daozhou. Because Cai Jing was stubborn and refused to carry it out, the Emperor ceased consultations with the chief councilor and made arbitrary decisions solely with his close attendants. Sheng Zhang coerced the Registrar of Monks, Hongbing, into presenting a memorial submitting to the decree. Thereupon all monks were converted into Men of Virtue, fully adopting the caps and robes; otherwise they were dismantled. Jing repeatedly and earnestly stated to the Emperor: 'The Buddha statues under heaven were not made by the monks for themselves; they were all made by sons for their fathers and subjects for their lords, to pray for blessings and repay kindness. Now to destroy them on a grand scale will only agitate the minds of the people; it is not to the advantage of the dynastic altars.' The Emperor's mind was somewhat softened by this.
46.44
The author remarks: When Cai Jing first met Lin Lingsu, he thought him an extraordinary person, recommended and introduced him, intending to forge an alliance with him before the Emperor so as to consolidate his own favor. When Lingsu gained the sovereign's favor and acted tyrannically by suppressing Buddhism and promoting Daoism, Jing then became afraid of public criticism and hurriedly spoke of his falsehoods, but it was too late! This is just as when Jing initially recommended Tong Guan, considering him capable; when Guan held exclusive control of the northern expeditions and ceased to report fully to the court, Jing then developed a great hatred for him and repeatedly spoke of his faults, but it was too late! In general, Cai Jing, having the qualities of a wicked man, wished to enlist partisans to assist himself in monopolizing state governance; but Tong Guan and Lin Lingsu were also of the class of wicked men, and thus they could not tolerate each other and instead hated one another. Thus Cai Jing cannot be without blame for advancing these two villains. If someone should say that Jing was capable of exposing the crimes of the two villains because he knew remorse, I would reply to him: Jing spoke of their faults because the two villains monopolized power and did not cooperate with him; his accusations were words of hatred, not at all comparable to the pure criticisms of righteous and upright gentlemen.
46.45
When they were about to place a Daoist cap upon the statue of the stupa of Saṅgha in Sizhou, wind and rain suddenly made the sky pitch-dark, tearing the cap to pieces and dropping it outside the gate. The prefect was greatly terrified on hearing of this. He hurried to the statue and apologized, saying, 'Saṅgha has spiritual efficacy; how could we dare insult him again?' (Duxing zhi) An imperial decree ordered Qianming Monastery abolished to make three out of five monasteries. Palace Attendant Yang Jian proposed abolishing Taiping Xingguo Monastery to make it into inns and civilian dwellings. At first, when demolishing the main hall, they buried the Buddha statue beneath its foundation, its limbs broken to pieces; soon after, Yang Jian fell ill, his chest and abdomen burst open, and he died. (Yijian zhi) An imperial decree ordered the construction of Shenxiao Palaces throughout the empire. The prefectures and commanderies, fearing the expense, mostly replaced the name plaques of great Buddhist monasteries with it. Taiping Commandery was about to demolish Chengtian Monastery. On the first day, the officer directing the laborers and his soldiers fell from a horse and died. On the second day, the master artisan fell from a roof and died. On the third day, a military officer fell from a horse and broke his arm. The ten-year-old son of Director Shi of the Ministry of Rites, who had sponsored the proposal, had his clothes stripped off by an armored spirit in gold and was thrown into the fire chamber of a bathhouse. A spirit's voice was heard saying, 'Shi's line is severed.' In that year, the son died, and Shi died as a traveler in the capital. When Yongdao reached Daozhou, the prefect and his subordinates simultaneously dreamed of a Buddha statue entering the city wearing a cangue. The next day the Master arrived; the prefect, recognizing his wondrous character, ordered that he be treated kindly. Many soldiers and civilians in the city suffered from cold-induced ailments and sought rescue from the Master. The Master had previously received the Indian dhāraṇī method; the sick who drank the water he incanted over or who had their crowns rubbed by him were all cured. Since those who sought his aid became numerous, he made a pond within the military camp to incant over it. In the third month, there was a great flood in the capital. Giant softshell turtles and alligators emerged in the residential compounds, and the imperial ancestral temples and palaces were in extreme peril. An imperial decree commanded Lin Lingsu to lead the Daoists to manage the flood, but after several days there was no result. Thousands of laborers competed to raise staves, wanting to beat him to death, but Lingsu fled and escaped. The emperor was displeased on hearing of this. Suddenly, the Great Sage of Sizhou appeared in the imperial palace, standing still in the air, attended at his sides by Huian and Mokṣa. The emperor burned incense, bowed, and prayed. The Great Sage shook his ringed staff, climbed the city wall, and chanted secret mantras. In a short while, someone in white clothes with a kerchief knelt before him as though receiving precepts and admonitions. The multitudes of ten thousand all witnessed this, suspecting it was a dragon god transformed into human form. Soon after, the waters receded. An imperial decree conferred a six-character title of Master upon the Great Sage Saṅgha. Lingsu again urged the emperor to strip it away, and Hanlin Academician Xu Han was dismissed from his post because his drafting of the decree was overly lavish in praise. In the ninth month, the officials and subordinates of the Censorate submitted a memorial: 'Lin Lingsu is a treacherous and villainous petty man who rashly proposes moving the capital and abolishing Buddhism; his crime warrants execution.' There was no reply. In the tenth month, Lingsu formed factions with the eunuchs and engaged in mutual disputes, and moreover, on the road, he usurped the procession insignia of the Crown Prince. The emperor began to detest him. A notice was posted at Shenxiao Palace: 'Chu Hui’s sins and wickedness are incorrigible; the Sovereign commands that his celestial registry be erased and that he be made an inferior ghost forever.' In the eleventh month, Lingsu was banished back to Wenzhou, and death was bestowed on him on the road. He instructed his disciples to bury him upon returning and to make several decoy tombs. (When Gaozong visited Jiangxin, he turned his former residence into a monastery and dispatched men to open his tomb to inflict mutilation upon his corpse, but because they did not know its location, they desisted.) Thereupon, both within and outside the court, all laid the blame for abolishing Buddhism upon him. Chan Master Faxing Xingchi of Yuyao, when first invited, passed through Shangyu. The magistrate of the county, Mr. Wang, requested that he preach the essentials of the Dharma. The Master mounted the seat and said: 'On his head he wears a black kerchief, on his body he drapes a crane-feather cloak; plainly a fine immortal, yet he knows how to ply the tricks of Caoxi.' The magistrate and the great assembly all tapped their fingers and sighed deeply; at that time, there were those in the assembly who wept incessantly. (The Master was styled Mu'an; he attained the Dharma under the Venerable Daqing of Xiangtian. His family was the Lu clan of Siming, and he was the great-grand-uncle of Zhipan. He occupied the seats of Yongxi, Yunmen, Xuedou, and Husheng, and his name is recorded in the Patriarchal Chart.) Chan Master Huihong of Shimen stayed at Gushan in Xiangxi. Drawing upon the two lineages of Yunmen and Linji, from the Jiayou to the Zhenghe eras, covering a total of eighty-one persons, he compiled the Chanlin sengbao zhuan in thirty volumes. Since Ning Tonghui, the only one to transmit the history of the saṅgha was this Master. Formerly, Chan Master You of Yunju built an egg-shaped stupa to the east of Chan Master Hongjue's stupa, saying, 'For all abbots whose living bodies are not incorrupt, and who yield no relics upon cremation, their bones and stones shall be filled in here.' To the west he built an egg-shaped stupa, saying, 'For all monks who pass away, their bones and stones shall be deposited here.' These were called the Three Stupas. Chan Master Duan of Baiyun said, 'The flourishing of monasteries throughout the realm is due to the power of Dazhi (Baizhang's posthumous title is Dazhi). In the Patriarchal Hall, a statue of Bodhidharma should be set up in the center, the statue of Dazhi facing west, and the statue of the monastery founder facing east. One should not merely set up the founder and neglect the ancestral masters.' Juefan evaluated this, saying, 'The breadth of vision and depth of understanding of Baiyun and Yunju may indeed serve as a model for the realm!' In the eighth month, an imperial decree was issued: 'Previously, because treacherous men proposed changing the titles of the Śākyan clan, this was deeply improper. Those who were formerly ordered to be changed to male and female Virtuous Knights shall be called monks and nuns as before.' In the ninth month, an imperial decree universally restored the monks and nuns of the empire. Yongdao of Daozhou was transferred closer to an adjacent prefecture. (The above are seen scattered in the Guochao huiyao, Benchao tongjian, Daofashi zhuan, and Lin Lingsu zhuan.)
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- 佛祖統紀 — 志磐, Classical Chinese